The Alt-Right Created a Parallel Internet. It’s an Unholy Mess.<br />“I believe in the idea, but I’m disappointed in the platform.” In another message, he wrote: “I<br />barely use it as there are few active users, and few essential features even after a year.”<br />Gab, which claims to have more than 300,000 registered users, was supposed to be an alt-tech success story.<br />According to Mr. Wilson, a major credit card company, which he declined to name, kicked Hatreon off its network last month, preventing many users from funding projects on the site<br />and all but killing the company’s prospects for growth.<br />Not only do they have to build a compelling product and attract users — a steep challenge even in the best of circumstances —<br />but they must do it without access to mainstream funding sources, such as venture capital firms and angel investors, which provide much of the fuel for other tech start-ups.<br />Mr. Wilson’s product, a crowdfunding site called Hatreon, was meant to give alt-right personalities<br />and others a way to raise money for projects deemed too risqué for mainstream crowdfunding platforms such as Patreon and Kickstarter.<br />Today, visitors to Hatreon are greeted by a message saying that “pledging is currently disabled while we upgrade our systems.”<br />Mr. Wilson, who does not describe himself as alt-right, said he has accepted<br />that building a viable alt-tech business might be impossible, given the practical constraints.
